colby



2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. 0. COLBY.

LAMP

(No Model.)

. Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. 0. COLBY.

LAMP. No. 338,830. Patented Mar. 30, 1886.

FTg. 1 El /fTflEEE g EL UNITED STATES PATENT UFFIQE.

JOSEPH O. COLBY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 338,830, dated March 30, 1886.

Application filed December 26, 1884. Serial No. 151,141. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosErH O. COLBY, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lamps, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates especially to the portion of the lamp known as the stand or the base, and it consists in so constructing the lamp that it can be set either upon a table or upon an inclined surface, or secured to a wall or other vertical support. The advantage of a construction of this character will be readily apparent.

1n the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the lamp, the section being broken out to illustrate the construction. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation illustrating the lamp when attached to a wall or other vertical surface. Figs. 3, 4., 5, and 6 show various details of construction. Figs. 7 and 8 represent a modification, whereby a reflector is provided. Figs. 9 and 10 still further illustrate a method of securing the lamp to its supports.

A represents the base-piece or foot of the lamp. It preferably is made of stamped metal, but can, of course, be of other material. It supports or holds one or more vertical arms or posts, B, to which the device for holding the reservoir of the lamp is attached.

In the drawings, in Fig. 1, I have represented two posts or standards, B, and the lamp-holder C is represented as cylindrical in form, open at its top, and having the pivots c, which extend through the holes 0, formed in the upper ends of the standards, the ends of which extend beyond the outer surfaces of the standards, and have screw-threads for the reception of the nuts 0 which, preferably, are made in ornamental form.

As constructed, it is obvious that the reservoir-holder 0, unless the nuts shall be screwed up tightly together, may swing upon the center of the pivots, and, preferably, the construction is such that the under surface of this reservoir-holder shall rest upon the upper surface, a, of the base when the holder is in a vertical position, so as to relieve, to some extent, the pivots from the strain of holding the lamp;

but in order that the section may be turned easily, for the purposes hereinafter indicated, the supporting-section of the base is confined substantially to the edge of the surface a, the remainder of the section being made somewhat concave, to permit the easy swinging of the section 0 from said supporting-surface.

The nuts 0 maybe used for locking the sec tion to the posts or not, as desired, and there may be used additionally the locking-screws c", which screw upon the pivots; or any other clamp may be used for locking the section rigidly to the post.

It will be seen that the lamp comprises a base, a holder of the reservoir-section of the lamp, which is connected with the base by a support or supports, to which it is pivoted, and to which, also, it may be locked.

When the lamp is used upon a fiat or level surface, it is of course necessary that the section should bear a vertical relation to the supports, and it is preferable that it should be locked so as not to swing; and ifit is to beset on an inclined surface, then the lamp-holder is allowed to swing upon its pivots until it assumes a vertical position, when it is locked to its supports. \Vhen it is to be secured to a Wall or other vertical support, I attach to the under surface of the base, within the recess a,

one or more wires, d, having the loops or eyes.

(1, or Iform a hole in the base and I securein the wall or vertical surface a small hook, (1 adapted to receive the loop of one of the Wires or to enter the hole in the base-section. The base is then turned to a substantially right angle to the lamp, which is then locked to its support or supports, and thebase placed upon the hook so that the edge or surface which as a table-lamp rests upon the table shall rest against the wall. This use of the invention is represented in Fig. 2.

Of course I do not confine myself to the specific devices herein shown and described for hanging the base to the wall, but may use any mechanical equivalents therefor.

It is obvious that the lamp, when the reservoir, chimney, burner, 810., are light, can be used without looking the holder to the supports; but it is generally the case that these upper portions of the lamp are so heavy that if the holder were not locked in place there would be danger of its turning over or reversing its position. It is therefore essential for certain kinds of lamps that they should be locked, and securely locked.

To overcome the'tendency to tip, as far as practicable, I have carried the pivot-points as near the top of the holder as possible, in order that as much of the weight of the lamp may be below the line of the pivots as well may be.

I do not confine myself to the especial form of holder or supporting device herein shown and described, but may use any ring or support for accomplishing the same purpose.

In Fig. 3 I show a device for hanging the lamp-holder to the posts or supports somewhat different in construction from that above described. It consists in forming at the upper end of each support cross-slots e e, which receive or hold the pivots or projections extending from the side of the lamp-holder, which are of a shape to enter the slots but not turn therein. Of course it will be seen that when the lamp is used as a table-lamp the projections enter the vertical slot,'and when used as a wall-lamp the standards are turned so as to permit the pivots or projections to enter either portion of the slot 6. When the lamp is in a vertical position, it is desirable that the projections should not touch the lower ends of the slot e,in order that the weight of the lamp may be substantially upon the base.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I show the upper surface, (1 of the base-section made concave, in order that it may be utilized as a reflector when used in supporting the lamp against the wall, and when so used of course it is polished or burnished, or provided in any other way with a polished surface. The burner of the lamp, when the base is thus used as a reflector, should have a position as nearly opposite the center of the reflector as possible, and I accomplish this result by making the upper surface of the reservoir portion concave, thus lowering the position of the burner, or carrying up short ears or projections f from the 'holder and lengthening the slots in the supports or posts, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Y

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States I 1. A lamp having a base, A, posts or supports B, extending therefrom and supporting below their upper ends aswinging lamp-holder, 0, and the set-screws a, for locking the lamp-holder rigidly to the posts, all substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a lamp, the combination of the base A, having the surface a, for the support of the lamp-holder when in a vertical position, the posts B, and the lamp holder. O, pivoted to said posts, all substantially as described.

JOSEPH o. COLBY.

Witnesses:

F. F. RAYMOND, 2d, FRED. B. DOLAN. 

